● Virraddon Arrax Gal’aurias was born in Dakkor to a military family. He studied to be a priest from a young age.
● As he rose in the ranks of the priesthood, he began to question the way the words of Nae’del were taught. For this he was reprimanded and threatened with excommunication. He fled Dakkor.
● He renounced his former learning and began studying True Magik; he attended a magikal university in DeMekrium for a few years.
● Traveling through the lands, he reunited with his childhood friend Tal’ysin [Devin Parker] in May of 497 and spent much time trying to convince him to give up his former beliefs. The two bonded, but a short time later a powerful spell was laid on Tal’ysin that robbed him of his will to live.
● The two traveled to Halgudar in search of a remedy. Once it was achieved, both met Auberick [Dale Brodt]. The Lord of the Fae corrected Tal’ysin’s errant thinking and wished Virraddon well upon his path, though he warned also of its dangers.
● The two were captured but eventually escaped from Rynith Guard—they later met with several travelers, including Gault Fernwood [Andrew Gaughen] and Burgle [Dave Miner] the goblin. They were set upon by another contingent of the Guard who ended up killing Tal’ysin. After resurrecting him, they and the other travelers enchanted a number of goblins and orcs and drove the Guard off the mountain.
● Virraddon returned with Gault to Akkoria to study in the libraries of Kor Mydrin over the fall of 498; Tal’ysin went with Burgle to Fulgar’s Horde. When Virraddon discovered he was wanted by the Rynith government, he fled and spent a winter in Nost’Karé.
● Returning to Akkoria the following summer to search for Tal’ysin, Virraddon encountered Tarrik Aldarion [Dale Brodt] and the Quest party, including the Black Rose Manasseh Math’elmarinir [Devin Parker]. He eventually offered to aid the party, and they sent him to Doro Y’Edhel to search for any information which might help them in their quest.
● Virraddon was warmly welcomed in Doro Y’Edhel and eventually came before the Council. He told them his purposes for the Quest party and also laid out his desire to help the elves in their war against his former countrymen in order to wipe the scourge of their twisted faith from the land. The Council welcomed him and he spent several months alternating between studying in the Libraries of Wisdom and Arcanum and serving on the front with General Adalomé. On the front he eventually found part of an ancient talisman which could be of use to Tarrik.
● Before leaving to find the Quest party in August of 499, Virraddon was brought once again before the Council, but this time he was brought in through the Door of Heroes. The Council honored him and called him “Former Seeker of Truth and Future Protector of All.” They had been told by the Queen of his coming and wished him well upon his journeys. They also assured him that he would always find a home in Doro Y’Edhel.
● Virraddon found the Quest party and traveled with them to Dominia. After witnessing the forging of the Tenth Arena by the Arbiters, Virraddon let his curiosity get the best of him and attempted to investigate against their warnings. The Arbiter Tyrus caught him and banished him bodily to the Underworld.
● Virraddon spent eight months in the Underworld, surrounded by unending darkness and torment. He slowly lost grip of his sanity and gave up all hope of escape. When Manasseh arrived on his quest to rescue the soul of Vadric [Dave Miner], Virraddon joined him and was eventually freed when the party returned to the land of the living. It was here, too, that he developed a “grey aura” of a mystical nature which hangs about him still.
● Unable to free himself of his strange habits and morbid fears, Virraddon became impossible to bear—he feared all who came near him, lashed out at those around him, and lived in the grip of deadly terror. Manasseh quickly took him to Doro Y’Edhel where he was placed in the Envinyel for nearly two years. During that time, the healer Aradnael [Joanna Slusser] was his caretaker and slowly brought him back to some approximation of normalcy, though he was still extremely unstable. He earned the nicknames “Virraddon the Grey” and “Virraddon the Mad.”
● During this time Virraddon lived always in horror of the thought of death; it occurred to him that he would be saved from eternal torment if he could find a way for his soul to enter the Fae upon his death. He began to study ancient elven history intensely, especially stories of mortals dealing with the elves and stories of Auberick. Eventually he lighted on the plan of replanting Auberick’s Tree, felled by the gods in the destruction of Tarnaal for Auberick’s sin of teaching magik to men. By this, he hoped to earn Auberick’s favor. He took a cutting from Laurëa Thrond and in the company of Manasseh, Aradnael, and Allithea [Marilyn Parker] (who had first been his guide in Doro Y’Edhel) traveled to Lindora on the edge of the Badlands. He was still living in a fearful panic and was both dangerous to strangers and useless to his companions.
● In September of 502, they discovered a valley haunted by the Drow and other dark beings in Lindora. That night Virraddon met once again with Auberick. He evinced sympathy for Virraddon’s quest, but expressed misgivings about allowing a man into the Fae “who is not even trusted by his own companions.” He suggested that Virraddon’s sapling might be put to better use in cleansing the valley of its taint, but said he would seek for some other quest for Virraddon to undertake to earn what he sought. Auberick also gave him hope by suggesting that his title, “Former Seeker of Truth and Future Protector of All” had not necessarily yet been fulfilled.
● The next day the sapling was planted with much turmoil in Virraddon’s soul. He vowed to give up his former fears and was able to put this to the test in helping rescue the necromancer Talenin [Hilary Adams] from Lindoran troops. (He wished her to live so that she might choose to renounce her path as he once had.) As well, he met his brothers Forrester and Jaciunde [Chris and Kevin Thomas] who told him what had become of his family in the intervening years—these brought him some way closer to reason. Together with other travelers, they returned to Doro Y’Edhel.
● After their return, Virradon continued his study of Auberick and the ancient Fae (he speaks both modern Edhelkwin and its ancient elven/Fae progenitor language), still trying to find some deed which might win him favor. He decided to serve the elven people as best he was able to prove himself worthy. He was not totally free of all his quirks, and he was usually quite serious and given to pessimism, but he did think clearly and expressed himself with due conduct.
● In April of 503, Virraddon attended upon Queen Thielora Regalia at the Envinyel along with many others of note—the Queen was longing to pass into the Fae but held on for the good of her people. Virraddon was one of those who reported on the happenings of the past September, and later made a petition of his own to the Queen and her lady, Saetei [Haleanna Jenkins] in the ancient Fae tongue: he begged that the Queen would set him some task or quest that he might show his service. The Queen promised so and held his hand, which he treasured.
● Later that evening, after Darrien [Andrew Gaughen] of the Sequestrum bargained with the Queen (and seemed to recognize Virraddon), there was talk among the Black Rose knights, including Manasseh and Kyril Fëanor [Dave Miner], of the Queen’s succession to which Virraddon was privy. Suddenly into this grim converse came the three Elder Fae—Auberick, Baethis of the Sea [Ingrid DeBeus], and Curinor of the Stones [Aaron Lyle]. They conferred with the Queen and told her of the existence of her daughter. The Queen then beckoned Virraddon to approach and told him that he was to undertake this quest. Stunned, he was barely able to make an answer at all, but accepted this great charge. He later spoke with General Fëanor, Manasseh, and Rand of the Black Rose [Phillip Lociano], seeking to solidify his position and making it known that he would much value the aid of the Black Rose but would undertake the quest regardless.
● He spent some months in preparation, searching for what little information there was to be had about the Queen's offspring and leaving Doro Y'Edhel in the early summer. By September 503, he was passing through northern Quivera on his way toward Palrim when the Blood Sky struck. He stayed to briefly speak with Milgroos [Ernie Burnett], who spoke to him cryptically of his importance to the fate of Xaria and the dangers of his path. This shook him and he moved on the next morning.
● Having little luck finding signs of the Fae or any word of the Queen’s daughter (not even her name), Virraddon continued east and wintered in Akkoria, searching the libraries under the friendly allowance of his old companion, Gault Fernwood.
● By late spring of 504, he heard word of the Tel’Quessir Weeruva, in which the voices of the elven nation would be heard in regard to the Queen’s succession after her death. Desiring greatly to give his opinion, he made his way east through Rynith and Halgudar, skirting the Badlands. In June, he came across a tavern in northern Halgudar called the Drunken Drum; entering, he found himself in fact in the Wandering Tavern. He joined with many others there in an effort to aid the innkeeper to recover his lost love from Tarnaal. Though it seemed a distraction, Virraddon was interested in the chance to discover more about the legend of the Nine Mages and the destruction of Auberick's Tree.
● During the journey, when the Tavern stopped at the Thieves’ Isles, he was shocked to find his older brother, Claudius [Lance Menthe], had become a pirate calling himself Handsome Dane, first mate aboard the Mercy. Unlike his warm welcome with Forrester and Jaciunde, Claudius was bitter, citing how the family had crumbled after Virraddon’s leaving. They came to something of a peace, but it was brief and uneasy. In Tarnaal, Virraddon played small part in the goings on, but did manage to gain possession of an ancient dragon’s claw that he hoped mightily to study.
● After being dropped by the Wandering Tavern in Quivera, Virraddon reached the eastern border of Doro Y’edhel by July and met with a group of others in the Tel’Quessir Weeruva. He was shocked to see much damage done to the forest since the protections had fallen after Thielora Regalia’s death, and even moreso when he was attacked by monsters. During the discussions, when the Drow arrived, he was disgusted by those allowing their voices to be heard. He gave his opinion as a hero of the elven realm and renewed his vow to find the heir. However, that night, Curinor of the Stones appeared. He told Virraddon that the quest, though well-intentioned, was not for him. He also gifted Virraddon with a stone finger and the ability to turn himself to stone at will. Bereft and forlorn, Virraddon began drinking (finally now, perhaps, understanding how Tarrik had come to that pass), burning his glove which had protected his hand since the Queen had taken it. He was still nearly suicidal until Saetei, the Queen’s lady, appeared and assured him that he had not lost Her Majesty's favor—simply that the quest was fated to others, and Virraddon felt the presence of the Queen’s spirit comforting him. Still, he was without hope or joy. He returned to Dun Y’Estel with those who would set out on the quest in his stead to tell them what he had learned so far. He went back to his cottage and his studies in the libraries, feeling lost and adrift.
● In January of 505, when non-elves were no longer welcome in Doro Y’Edhel, Virraddon left with a black bitterness clutching his heart. He went north through Chalter Medrium and eventually Karandia, thinking to plum their libraries for what he could find. His research was unfocused, though, see-sawing between continued search for Fae myth and history, and research on the Consortium and dragons. He was much interested to hear about the Veldron Order’s acquisition of the corpse of a dragon, but he did not attend their meetings. He also had some vague idea, in his rasher moments deep in drink, of finding the Crimson King [Dale Brodt], the only mage he had ever met who cheated death.
● Though he was no longer unstable, Virraddon was once again without hope. It seemed as though Auberick’s promises were hollow: either he could not help Virraddon, or would not; as he is immortal, Virraddon feared he would not remember the short life of a human and his aid would come too late. Virraddon was then the hero of no one, and he faced death with no assurances. He was teetering on a dangerous edge, poised between some utterly foolhardy quest (such as trying to find Vesve of the Glades, Auberick’s lost love) or dabbling in the more esoteric arts (like those of the Consortium mages—if they could create life, could their magik not also be used to extend it indefinitely?). He refused Death Magik as a path (having seen far too many Death Mages trapped in the Underworld, most worse off than anyone else), but anything short of that he saw as a possible path.
● For two yeas, Virraddon lived on the outskirts of Traau in Karandia, studiously avoiding Tarrik Aldarion and other old associations. He consoled himself with drink and made a living doing translations and some research for minor functionaries. His own researches were sporadic and half-hearted.
● In 507, Virraddon did find a few more snippets of information about ancient Fae artifacts and the destruction of Tarnaal. Tired of his meager existence, he set out once again, making his way by the familiar roads eastward toward the Badlands.
● On the border of Rynith and Halgudar, the caravan with which he was traveling was beset by slavers, spiriting travelers away with magik. Virraddon was also witness to a worrying meeting between Rynith officials and members of the Sequestrum, who seemed to be exchanging land for the services of a Death Lord, an undead elf named Julius [Dave Miner]. Virraddon tried to confront this being and discover more, but he was driven away. That night, the camp was visited by Ozog, who greeted all warmly save Virraddon. Crushed, the mage asked the Fae if he had been forgotten; Ozog then spoke with him at length, chastising him gently for his despair and urging him to once again pursue his charge; he also advised him that his self-obsession was harming himself and others. Virraddon rededicated himself to his cause.
● The next day, a Black Rose appeared, bearing a message from Manasseh, which promised friendship and aid when the knight could give it. Virraddon told the messenger of Julius and urged him to report to the Black Rose on the disturbing development. He then aided the travelers in defeating the slavers that had attacked them, then made journey back to Karandia.
●In Karandia, Virraddon was granted audience with Tarrik Aldarion, now Griffin of Magik. There meeting was strange to Virraddon, but he outlined for the Griffin all that he had learned and of the threat of the Death Lord Julius. The two spoke long of Tarrik's quest and its effects on the lands, as well as the Consortium and other deep subjects.
●In the late summer of 509, during his researches in the libraries of Traau, Virraddon was approached by an Elven scout: Aeylarik Cen'ryll, a Gatherer for the Council in Doro Y'Edhel. The elf told Virraddon that he was summoned to the Glade of Clouds on some important matter. Though Aeylarik clearly found Virraddon and all things human distasteful, and though he still felt conflict in his heart regarding the homeland he had adopted and then been cast from, Virraddon agreed and the two journeyed south.
●In October of 509, Virraddon met with Manasseh once more as they held council with Casvin Hlaeraheal, Councilor of the glade. He spoke to them of the finding of the Edhel'ore Dagnir by humans and tasked the three with finding out what they could and returning the item to the Elves.
●By early November, the trio made the border between Doro Y'Edhel and Gallura. There they were approached by a plainly dressed man who spoke to them. They could not recount what had passed, but though they had a sense they were meant to travel together, they could not recall their specific purpose.
●Heading south, Virraddon, Manasseh, and Aeylarik went through Gallura and DeMekrium to Irroquin. Due to harsh weather, they were forced to winter over at a trade stop. They were all irritable and restless, but Manasseh was unwilling to send word to the Council to ask for further direction, fearing their machinations.
●Once spring arrived, Aeylarik felt very strongly that he needed to go to Kessid to meet with a Black Rose Knight--he could not explain this call, but it was not to be denied. Within a short time of their arrival, Virraddon began to hear rumors of a cult devoted to a powerful necromancer; when the name "The Crimson King" was mentioned, he knew he had to investigate. Knowing that Manasseh might be pained to hear of it and secretly curious about this figure from his past, Virraddon told his companions only that he had to delve into an important matter alone. They acquiesced (Aeylarik gladly). Virraddon discovered that a new cult had arisen to worship Caspian and initiates were being recruited. With his grey aura and magikal talent, Virraddon was able quickly to insinuate himself into the group. He was trained for two weeks and then included in a small party that was to make their way northward to Icara, there to meet with the Crimson King himself.
●Knowing then that he needed to let the others know of the danger, Virraddon sought his companions at their appointed spot, the Barking Fool tavern, only to find that they had left word with the innkeep Wil [Dave Miner] that they had left on a quest, instituted by Auberick, to journey to the former Halgudar to search for missing Warders. They had been gone almost two weeks; Virraddon, in desperation, used his wooden coin from the Wandering Inn to pursue them, covering much ground quickly and ending up just a day or two behind their company.
●Traveling swiftly, Virraddon came upon the questing group in a mountain pass. There he found not only Manasseh and Aeylarik, but others of his acquaintance: Martin Arthur, Gault, and Dolena, as well as many strangers. He drew Manasseh aside and told him of the cult; the Black Rose was pained, indeed, and resolved to travel with Virraddon to head off the group of initiates headed north, to stop them in their journey and learn from their leaders the location of the Crimson King. The elf made his goodbyes to the group and he left with Virraddon.
●The pair hurry northward, skirting between Uragoth and Dakkor, then turning west into Icara. With much inquiry and search, the managed to intercept the initiates and confront them. The two leaders of the group issued fell incantations and the initiates fell dead; they then fought bitterly and Manasseh and Virraddon were only just able to defeat them. Though the two searched for further signs, they were unable to discover where the Crimson King resided. During this search, the same plainly dressed man who had met them the year before in Doro Y'Edhel appeared again and released the arcane magiks that had bound them. Suddenly remembering their quest for the Edhel'ore Dagnir, they were stricken with the need to locate Aeylarik once more and return to their duties. The man directed them to look on the border between Lindora and Halgudar, near the Badlands, to meet him. Weary and disappointed, Virraddon and Manasseh nonetheless began their southward march, arriving in the appointed area in late September of 510.
●On the mountain trials between the new Urth and the newer Kyratthis, the trio were confronted on one hand by waves of undead (many made of the bodies of beings who were not normally resurrected for these purposes) sent by Urth necromancers, and on the other by soldiers of Rynith. They met, too, a few Lindoran stragglers still fighting to save their lands. Though the three attempted to aid them, the numbers against them seemed too overwhelming, until Commander Bloch [Dave Chamberlain] arrived with a powerful artifact that drove the undead back--but also caused great pain to the elves nearby. This item turned out to be the Edhel'ore Dagnir, and long and bitter were the negotiations engaged in. In the end, the item was given to Manasseh on the condition that he and his companions would sway the Council of Doro Y'Edhel to aid the Lindorans in their fight against the forces arrayed against them.
●To achieve these ends, Manasseh and Virraddon concluded that Manasseh himself would have to rise to the position of Councilor. It would be a difficult and dangerous endeavor, for Feangren had not endeared himself to many, but the respect due him and his services to the Queen and in the saving of Xaria would prove his strengths. They returned to Quivera, from thence to send word and seek audience to gain the Black Rose a seat on the Council.
●For more than two yeas, Virraddon split his time between aiding Manasseh in his endeavors (which were eventually successful) and his own researches. Still he seeks for information on the heir of Thielora Regalia; still he studies the ways of ancient Elvenkind; still he combs records for further knowledge of the Consortium and their magiks. When word comes to him of some artifact or discovery, he will journey there to see what he can add to the store of lore of these too-rarely understood subjects.
The “Brief” History of Virraddon
● Virraddon Arrax Gal’aurias was born in Dakkor to a military family. He studied to be a priest from a young age.
● As he rose in the ranks of the priesthood, he began to question the way the words of Nae’del were taught. For this he was reprimanded and threatened with excommunication. He fled Dakkor.
● He renounced his former learning and began studying True Magik; he attended a magikal university in DeMekrium for a few years.
● Traveling through the lands, he reunited with his childhood friend Tal’ysin [Devin Parker] in May of 497 and spent much time trying to convince him to give up his former beliefs. The two bonded, but a short time later a powerful spell was laid on Tal’ysin that robbed him of his will to live.
● The two traveled to Halgudar in search of a remedy. Once it was achieved, both met Auberick [Dale Brodt]. The Lord of the Fae corrected Tal’ysin’s errant thinking and wished Virraddon well upon his path, though he warned also of its dangers.
● The two were captured but eventually escaped from Rynith Guard—they later met with several travelers, including Gault Fernwood [Andrew Gaughen] and Burgle [Dave Miner] the goblin. They were set upon by another contingent of the Guard who ended up killing Tal’ysin. After resurrecting him, they and the other travelers enchanted a number of goblins and orcs and drove the Guard off the mountain.
● Virraddon returned with Gault to Akkoria to study in the libraries of Kor Mydrin over the fall of 498; Tal’ysin went with Burgle to Fulgar’s Horde. When Virraddon discovered he was wanted by the Rynith government, he fled and spent a winter in Nost’Karé.
● Returning to Akkoria the following summer to search for Tal’ysin, Virraddon encountered Tarrik Aldarion [Dale Brodt] and the Quest party, including the Black Rose Manasseh Math’elmarinir [Devin Parker]. He eventually offered to aid the party, and they sent him to Doro Y’Edhel to search for any information which might help them in their quest.
● Virraddon was warmly welcomed in Doro Y’Edhel and eventually came before the Council. He told them his purposes for the Quest party and also laid out his desire to help the elves in their war against his former countrymen in order to wipe the scourge of their twisted faith from the land. The Council welcomed him and he spent several months alternating between studying in the Libraries of Wisdom and Arcanum and serving on the front with General Adalomé. On the front he eventually found part of an ancient talisman which could be of use to Tarrik.
● Before leaving to find the Quest party in August of 499, Virraddon was brought once again before the Council, but this time he was brought in through the Door of Heroes. The Council honored him and called him “Former Seeker of Truth and Future Protector of All.” They had been told by the Queen of his coming and wished him well upon his journeys. They also assured him that he would always find a home in Doro Y’Edhel.
● Virraddon found the Quest party and traveled with them to Dominia. After witnessing the forging of the Tenth Arena by the Arbiters, Virraddon let his curiosity get the best of him and attempted to investigate against their warnings. The Arbiter Tyrus caught him and banished him bodily to the Underworld.
● Virraddon spent eight months in the Underworld, surrounded by unending darkness and torment. He slowly lost grip of his sanity and gave up all hope of escape. When Manasseh arrived on his quest to rescue the soul of Vadric [Dave Miner], Virraddon joined him and was eventually freed when the party returned to the land of the living. It was here, too, that he developed a “grey aura” of a mystical nature which hangs about him still.
● Unable to free himself of his strange habits and morbid fears, Virraddon became impossible to bear—he feared all who came near him, lashed out at those around him, and lived in the grip of deadly terror. Manasseh quickly took him to Doro Y’Edhel where he was placed in the Envinyel for nearly two years. During that time, the healer Aradnael [Joanna Slusser] was his caretaker and slowly brought him back to some approximation of normalcy, though he was still extremely unstable. He earned the nicknames “Virraddon the Grey” and “Virraddon the Mad.”
● During this time Virraddon lived always in horror of the thought of death; it occurred to him that he would be saved from eternal torment if he could find a way for his soul to enter the Fae upon his death. He began to study ancient elven history intensely, especially stories of mortals dealing with the elves and stories of Auberick. Eventually he lighted on the plan of replanting Auberick’s Tree, felled by the gods in the destruction of Tarnaal for Auberick’s sin of teaching magik to men. By this, he hoped to earn Auberick’s favor. He took a cutting from Laurëa Thrond and in the company of Manasseh, Aradnael, and Allithea [Marilyn Parker] (who had first been his guide in Doro Y’Edhel) traveled to Lindora on the edge of the Badlands. He was still living in a fearful panic and was both dangerous to strangers and useless to his companions.
● In September of 502, they discovered a valley haunted by the Drow and other dark beings in Lindora. That night Virraddon met once again with Auberick. He evinced sympathy for Virraddon’s quest, but expressed misgivings about allowing a man into the Fae “who is not even trusted by his own companions.” He suggested that Virraddon’s sapling might be put to better use in cleansing the valley of its taint, but said he would seek for some other quest for Virraddon to undertake to earn what he sought. Auberick also gave him hope by suggesting that his title, “Former Seeker of Truth and Future Protector of All” had not necessarily yet been fulfilled.
● The next day the sapling was planted with much turmoil in Virraddon’s soul. He vowed to give up his former fears and was able to put this to the test in helping rescue the necromancer Talenin [Hilary Adams] from Lindoran troops. (He wished her to live so that she might choose to renounce her path as he once had.) As well, he met his brothers Forrester and Jaciunde [Chris and Kevin Thomas] who told him what had become of his family in the intervening years—these brought him some way closer to reason. Together with other travelers, they returned to Doro Y’Edhel.
● After their return, Virradon continued his study of Auberick and the ancient Fae (he speaks both modern Edhelkwin and its ancient elven/Fae progenitor language), still trying to find some deed which might win him favor. He decided to serve the elven people as best he was able to prove himself worthy. He was not totally free of all his quirks, and he was usually quite serious and given to pessimism, but he did think clearly and expressed himself with due conduct.
● In April of 503, Virraddon attended upon Queen Thielora Regalia at the Envinyel along with many others of note—the Queen was longing to pass into the Fae but held on for the good of her people. Virraddon was one of those who reported on the happenings of the past September, and later made a petition of his own to the Queen and her lady, Saetei [Haleanna Jenkins] in the ancient Fae tongue: he begged that the Queen would set him some task or quest that he might show his service. The Queen promised so and held his hand, which he treasured.
● Later that evening, after Darrien [Andrew Gaughen] of the Sequestrum bargained with the Queen (and seemed to recognize Virraddon), there was talk among the Black Rose knights, including Manasseh and Kyril Fëanor [Dave Miner], of the Queen’s succession to which Virraddon was privy. Suddenly into this grim converse came the three Elder Fae—Auberick, Baethis of the Sea [Ingrid DeBeus], and Curinor of the Stones [Aaron Lyle]. They conferred with the Queen and told her of the existence of her daughter. The Queen then beckoned Virraddon to approach and told him that he was to undertake this quest. Stunned, he was barely able to make an answer at all, but accepted this great charge. He later spoke with General Fëanor, Manasseh, and Rand of the Black Rose [Phillip Lociano], seeking to solidify his position and making it known that he would much value the aid of the Black Rose but would undertake the quest regardless.
● He spent some months in preparation, searching for what little information there was to be had about the Queen's offspring and leaving Doro Y'Edhel in the early summer. By September 503, he was passing through northern Quivera on his way toward Palrim when the Blood Sky struck. He stayed to briefly speak with Milgroos [Ernie Burnett], who spoke to him cryptically of his importance to the fate of Xaria and the dangers of his path. This shook him and he moved on the next morning.
● Having little luck finding signs of the Fae or any word of the Queen’s daughter (not even her name), Virraddon continued east and wintered in Akkoria, searching the libraries under the friendly allowance of his old companion, Gault Fernwood.
● By late spring of 504, he heard word of the Tel’Quessir Weeruva, in which the voices of the elven nation would be heard in regard to the Queen’s succession after her death. Desiring greatly to give his opinion, he made his way east through Rynith and Halgudar, skirting the Badlands. In June, he came across a tavern in northern Halgudar called the Drunken Drum; entering, he found himself in fact in the Wandering Tavern. He joined with many others there in an effort to aid the innkeeper to recover his lost love from Tarnaal. Though it seemed a distraction, Virraddon was interested in the chance to discover more about the legend of the Nine Mages and the destruction of Auberick's Tree.
● During the journey, when the Tavern stopped at the Thieves’ Isles, he was shocked to find his older brother, Claudius [Lance Menthe], had become a pirate calling himself Handsome Dane, first mate aboard the Mercy. Unlike his warm welcome with Forrester and Jaciunde, Claudius was bitter, citing how the family had crumbled after Virraddon’s leaving. They came to something of a peace, but it was brief and uneasy. In Tarnaal, Virraddon played small part in the goings on, but did manage to gain possession of an ancient dragon’s claw that he hoped mightily to study.
● After being dropped by the Wandering Tavern in Quivera, Virraddon reached the eastern border of Doro Y’edhel by July and met with a group of others in the Tel’Quessir Weeruva. He was shocked to see much damage done to the forest since the protections had fallen after Thielora Regalia’s death, and even moreso when he was attacked by monsters. During the discussions, when the Drow arrived, he was disgusted by those allowing their voices to be heard. He gave his opinion as a hero of the elven realm and renewed his vow to find the heir. However, that night, Curinor of the Stones appeared. He told Virraddon that the quest, though well-intentioned, was not for him. He also gifted Virraddon with a stone finger and the ability to turn himself to stone at will. Bereft and forlorn, Virraddon began drinking (finally now, perhaps, understanding how Tarrik had come to that pass), burning his glove which had protected his hand since the Queen had taken it. He was still nearly suicidal until Saetei, the Queen’s lady, appeared and assured him that he had not lost Her Majesty's favor—simply that the quest was fated to others, and Virraddon felt the presence of the Queen’s spirit comforting him. Still, he was without hope or joy. He returned to Dun Y’Estel with those who would set out on the quest in his stead to tell them what he had learned so far. He went back to his cottage and his studies in the libraries, feeling lost and adrift.
● In January of 505, when non-elves were no longer welcome in Doro Y’Edhel, Virraddon left with a black bitterness clutching his heart. He went north through Chalter Medrium and eventually Karandia, thinking to plum their libraries for what he could find. His research was unfocused, though, see-sawing between continued search for Fae myth and history, and research on the Consortium and dragons. He was much interested to hear about the Veldron Order’s acquisition of the corpse of a dragon, but he did not attend their meetings. He also had some vague idea, in his rasher moments deep in drink, of finding the Crimson King [Dale Brodt], the only mage he had ever met who cheated death.
● Though he was no longer unstable, Virraddon was once again without hope. It seemed as though Auberick’s promises were hollow: either he could not help Virraddon, or would not; as he is immortal, Virraddon feared he would not remember the short life of a human and his aid would come too late. Virraddon was then the hero of no one, and he faced death with no assurances. He was teetering on a dangerous edge, poised between some utterly foolhardy quest (such as trying to find Vesve of the Glades, Auberick’s lost love) or dabbling in the more esoteric arts (like those of the Consortium mages—if they could create life, could their magik not also be used to extend it indefinitely?). He refused Death Magik as a path (having seen far too many Death Mages trapped in the Underworld, most worse off than anyone else), but anything short of that he saw as a possible path.
● For two yeas, Virraddon lived on the outskirts of Traau in Karandia, studiously avoiding Tarrik Aldarion and other old associations. He consoled himself with drink and made a living doing translations and some research for minor functionaries. His own researches were sporadic and half-hearted.
● In 507, Virraddon did find a few more snippets of information about ancient Fae artifacts and the destruction of Tarnaal. Tired of his meager existence, he set out once again, making his way by the familiar roads eastward toward the Badlands.
● On the border of Rynith and Halgudar, the caravan with which he was traveling was beset by slavers, spiriting travelers away with magik. Virraddon was also witness to a worrying meeting between Rynith officials and members of the Sequestrum, who seemed to be exchanging land for the services of a Death Lord, an undead elf named Julius [Dave Miner]. Virraddon tried to confront this being and discover more, but he was driven away. That night, the camp was visited by Ozog, who greeted all warmly save Virraddon. Crushed, the mage asked the Fae if he had been forgotten; Ozog then spoke with him at length, chastising him gently for his despair and urging him to once again pursue his charge; he also advised him that his self-obsession was harming himself and others. Virraddon rededicated himself to his cause.
● The next day, a Black Rose appeared, bearing a message from Manasseh, which promised friendship and aid when the knight could give it. Virraddon told the messenger of Julius and urged him to report to the Black Rose on the disturbing development. He then aided the travelers in defeating the slavers that had attacked them, then made journey back to Karandia.
●In Karandia, Virraddon was granted audience with Tarrik Aldarion, now Griffin of Magik. There meeting was strange to Virraddon, but he outlined for the Griffin all that he had learned and of the threat of the Death Lord Julius. The two spoke long of Tarrik's quest and its effects on the lands, as well as the Consortium and other deep subjects.
●In the late summer of 509, during his researches in the libraries of Traau, Virraddon was approached by an Elven scout: Aeylarik Cen'ryll, a Gatherer for the Council in Doro Y'Edhel. The elf told Virraddon that he was summoned to the Glade of Clouds on some important matter. Though Aeylarik clearly found Virraddon and all things human distasteful, and though he still felt conflict in his heart regarding the homeland he had adopted and then been cast from, Virraddon agreed and the two journeyed south.
●In October of 509, Virraddon met with Manasseh once more as they held council with Casvin Hlaeraheal, Councilor of the glade. He spoke to them of the finding of the Edhel'ore Dagnir by humans and tasked the three with finding out what they could and returning the item to the Elves.
●By early November, the trio made the border between Doro Y'Edhel and Gallura. There they were approached by a plainly dressed man who spoke to them. They could not recount what had passed, but though they had a sense they were meant to travel together, they could not recall their specific purpose.
●Heading south, Virraddon, Manasseh, and Aeylarik went through Gallura and DeMekrium to Irroquin. Due to harsh weather, they were forced to winter over at a trade stop. They were all irritable and restless, but Manasseh was unwilling to send word to the Council to ask for further direction, fearing their machinations.
●Once spring arrived, Aeylarik felt very strongly that he needed to go to Kessid to meet with a Black Rose Knight--he could not explain this call, but it was not to be denied. Within a short time of their arrival, Virraddon began to hear rumors of a cult devoted to a powerful necromancer; when the name "The Crimson King" was mentioned, he knew he had to investigate. Knowing that Manasseh might be pained to hear of it and secretly curious about this figure from his past, Virraddon told his companions only that he had to delve into an important matter alone. They acquiesced (Aeylarik gladly). Virraddon discovered that a new cult had arisen to worship Caspian and initiates were being recruited. With his grey aura and magikal talent, Virraddon was able quickly to insinuate himself into the group. He was trained for two weeks and then included in a small party that was to make their way northward to Icara, there to meet with the Crimson King himself.
●Knowing then that he needed to let the others know of the danger, Virraddon sought his companions at their appointed spot, the Barking Fool tavern, only to find that they had left word with the innkeep Wil [Dave Miner] that they had left on a quest, instituted by Auberick, to journey to the former Halgudar to search for missing Warders. They had been gone almost two weeks; Virraddon, in desperation, used his wooden coin from the Wandering Inn to pursue them, covering much ground quickly and ending up just a day or two behind their company.
●Traveling swiftly, Virraddon came upon the questing group in a mountain pass. There he found not only Manasseh and Aeylarik, but others of his acquaintance: Martin Arthur, Gault, and Dolena, as well as many strangers. He drew Manasseh aside and told him of the cult; the Black Rose was pained, indeed, and resolved to travel with Virraddon to head off the group of initiates headed north, to stop them in their journey and learn from their leaders the location of the Crimson King. The elf made his goodbyes to the group and he left with Virraddon.
●The pair hurry northward, skirting between Uragoth and Dakkor, then turning west into Icara. With much inquiry and search, the managed to intercept the initiates and confront them. The two leaders of the group issued fell incantations and the initiates fell dead; they then fought bitterly and Manasseh and Virraddon were only just able to defeat them. Though the two searched for further signs, they were unable to discover where the Crimson King resided. During this search, the same plainly dressed man who had met them the year before in Doro Y'Edhel appeared again and released the arcane magiks that had bound them. Suddenly remembering their quest for the Edhel'ore Dagnir, they were stricken with the need to locate Aeylarik once more and return to their duties. The man directed them to look on the border between Lindora and Halgudar, near the Badlands, to meet him. Weary and disappointed, Virraddon and Manasseh nonetheless began their southward march, arriving in the appointed area in late September of 510.
●On the mountain trials between the new Urth and the newer Kyratthis, the trio were confronted on one hand by waves of undead (many made of the bodies of beings who were not normally resurrected for these purposes) sent by Urth necromancers, and on the other by soldiers of Rynith. They met, too, a few Lindoran stragglers still fighting to save their lands. Though the three attempted to aid them, the numbers against them seemed too overwhelming, until Commander Bloch [Dave Chamberlain] arrived with a powerful artifact that drove the undead back--but also caused great pain to the elves nearby. This item turned out to be the Edhel'ore Dagnir, and long and bitter were the negotiations engaged in. In the end, the item was given to Manasseh on the condition that he and his companions would sway the Council of Doro Y'Edhel to aid the Lindorans in their fight against the forces arrayed against them.
●To achieve these ends, Manasseh and Virraddon concluded that Manasseh himself would have to rise to the position of Councilor. It would be a difficult and dangerous endeavor, for Feangren had not endeared himself to many, but the respect due him and his services to the Queen and in the saving of Xaria would prove his strengths. They returned to Quivera, from thence to send word and seek audience to gain the Black Rose a seat on the Council.
●For more than two yeas, Virraddon split his time between aiding Manasseh in his endeavors (which were eventually successful) and his own researches. Still he seeks for information on the heir of Thielora Regalia; still he studies the ways of ancient Elvenkind; still he combs records for further knowledge of the Consortium and their magiks. When word comes to him of some artifact or discovery, he will journey there to see what he can add to the store of lore of these too-rarely understood subjects.